RECRUITMENT & SELECTION POLICY

BREEDEVALLEYMUNICIPALITY

APPROVED BY COUNCIL ON 30 MAY 2007

POLICY APPLICABLE WITH EFFECT FROM 1 JULY 2007

INDEX

1Scope and ContextP. 3

2.Aims & ObjectivesP. 4

3.PrinciplesP. 4

4.Employment Equity & Affirmative ActionP. 6

5.Recruitment ProcessP. 7

6.Selection ProcessP. 8

6.1ShortlistingP. 8

6.2AssessmentsP. 9

6.3InterviewsP. 10

6.4Selection decisionP. 11

6.5Reference checksP. 12

7. Post Selection ManagementP. 12

1.SCOPE AND CONTEXT

i.The Recruitment and Selection process is primarily aimed at procuring staff with the necessary competence, enabling the organization to deliver on its strategic and operational priorities.

ii.This process should be viewed as one aspect of an integrated Human Resources Strategy which is guided by the legal requirement to “develop and adopt appropriate systems and procedures to ensure fair, efficient, effective and transparent Personnel Administration” [Municipal Systems Act no. 32 of 2000, Section 66(1)], ultimately focused on the achievement of a representative workforce with the necessary skills, knowledge and behavioral competencies to:

a)Be responsive to the needs of the local communities;

b)Engender a culture of public service and accountability;

c)Be performance orientated;

d)Ensure roles and responsibilities are aligned with the priorities and objectives reflected in the IDP;

e)Support flexibility in the organization of the Administration in order to respond to changing priorities and circumstances;

f)Delegate responsibility to the most effective levels in the organization;

g)Involve staff in management decisions as far as possible;

h)Provide an equitable, fair, open and non-discriminatory working environment.

(Municipal Systems Act, Act no. 32 of 2000, Section 51)

  1. In applying the Recruitment and Selection policy, due consideration must be given to the intents, purposes, prescripts and guidelines of especially the Constitution, Employment Equity Act, Labour Relations Act and the Basic Conditions of Employment Act.
  1. This policy shall be applicable in the process of appointing all permanent staff members and contract staff members, where the duration of the contract exceeds 3 months, at all levels of the Breede Valley Municipality, excluding: (a) appointments in terms of Section 57 of the Municipal Systems Act, and

(b) positions confirmed by Council/Mayco as political appointments due to the trust, confidentiality and political sensitivities confirmed as inherent to such positions, with the proviso that these political appointments be on a contract basis only, of which the duration shall be linked to the term of office of the applicable Councillor/Political Office Bearer. Typically these positions would be positions directly linked to the office of a Political Office Bearer, for example a Personal Assistant to the Mayor, Speaker or Portfolio Councillor. On appointment, such contracts shall be accepted by parties to be exempted from the Collective Agreement on Permanency on Account of Temporary Work and submitted to the SALGBC for exemption from the Collective Agreement on “Permanency on account of acting or temporary work” in terms of which an employee can claim permanency following a period of acting or temporary work for longer than 12 months.

  1. The utilization of temporary/contract workers for a period of 3 months or less will be kept to an absolute minimum and will be approved by the Municipal Manager on recommendation of the relevant Head Of Department. In addition, contracts/temporary work will be for a maximum of six months in duration, following which the opportunity of employment must be offered to a different individual (rotation) to afford more individuals/community members the opportunity to gain employment opportunities and/or experience. All contract or temporary positions must be advertised, which might entail the posting of notices on internal and community notice boards.
  1. AIMS & OBJECTIVES
  1. To facilitate the sourcing of staff with the necessary competence to give effect to the Municipal Systems Act requirements of high performance, public service and accountability.
  2. To facilitate the procurement of staff on a fair, equitable, objective, consistent, transparent and non-discriminatory basis;
  3. To ensure legal and statutory compliance in the appointment of staff;
  4. To give effect to Employment Equity;
  5. To support the Skills Development Act purpose of “improving the quality of life of workers, their prospects of work and labour mobility”.
  6. The establishment of principles, processes and procedures for the recruitment and selection of staff, based on legislative requirements, organizational needs and industry best practices.

3.PRINCIPLES

  1. In aid of a culture of public service, accountability and high performance being established (as required by the Systems Act), competence / meritand equitywill be a key guiding principle in the appointment of staff, with competence/merit and equity not seen as mutually exclusive.
  1. The recruitment and selection process shall in essence be competency-based, with the focus on core competence in relation to the inherent requirements of the job with due regard to Section 20(3) of the Employment Equity Act, in terms of which a person may be suitably qualified for a job as a result of any one of, or any combination of that person’s (a) formal qualifications, (b) prior learning, (c) relevant experience and/or (d) capacity to acquire, within a reasonable time, the ability to do the job.
  1. The BVM supports the intents and purposes of the Employment Equity Act and as such will actively promote (a) equal opportunity and fair treatment through the elimination of unfair discrimination and (b) the implementation of affirmative action measures to redress disadvantages in employment experienced by designated groups.
  1. This policy acknowledges the right of every person, including external job applicants, to fair labour practices.
  1. The selection, recruitment and appointment processes will be transparent, while the employer reserves the right not to disclose information that is (a) legally privileged, (b) that the employer cannot disclose without contravening a prohibition imposed on the employer by any law or order of any court, (c) that is confidential and, if disclosed, may cause substantial harm to an employee (including job applicants) and the Municipality; or (d) that is private personal information relating to an employee or job applicant.
  1. In line with the principles of equal opportunity and fair treatment, nepotism and undue influence by officials, councilors and trade union representatives in the process of recruitment and selection of staff are expressly forbidden.
  1. Officials should adhere to the requirement contained in Schedule 2 (7a) of the Municipal Systems Act and may not “unduly influence or attempt to influence the council of the municipality, or a structure or functionary of the council, or a councilor with a view to obtaining any appointment, promotion, privilege, advantage or benefit, or for a family member, friend or associate.
  1. With regard to the Recruitment and Selection process, Councilors must give effect to Schedule 1(2a) and (2b) of the Municipal Systems Act in terms of which Councilors must “perform the functions of office in good faith, honestly and in a transparent manner; and at all times act in the best interest of the municipality and in such a way that the credibility and integrity of the municipality are not compromised.
  1. It is acknowledged that the Recruitment and Selection process is inherently a process of fair discrimination, based on inherent requirements of positions,focused on identifying suitable candidates and excluding others. The Municipality will, within prescribed regulatory requirements, endeavor to eradicate unfair discrimination, in Recruitment and Selection processes, procedures and decisions, on the basis of race, gender, sex, pregnancy, marital status, family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion, culture, language and birth.
  1. All appointments must be defendable based on the results of the assessment process, which should be recorded in writing as far as possible. Records will be retained for a period of 6 months from the date of appointment, or in the event of a dispute, for such longer period.
  1. The assessment process is an integrated process and the final decision shall be based on the results of the whole process (assessments and interviews) with the interviews not necessarily carrying the most weight. The weight of a specific measure (specific assessment or interview) will be determined by the specific competencies targeted by means of the measure and the relative importance of the specific competencies to the position being filled.
  1. In order to enhance objectivity,candidates are evaluated against the identified inherent job requirements to determine their suitability for appointment, and not evaluated against each other or by comparison with each other.
  1. A standardised methodology will be followed in the assessment and appointment of all permanent employees and long term (3months+) contract employees, other than employees appointed in terms of Section 57 of the Municipal Systems Act and employees appointed in terms of Section 1(iv)(b) of this policy.
  1. Individuals involved in the Recruitment & Selection process must declare any possible “conflict of interest” or “bias” and withdraw from the process.
  1. EMPLOYMENT EQUITY & AFFIRMATIVE ACTION
  1. Guided by the agreed-upon numerical targets of the Breede Valley Municipality, the municipality may appoint “suitably qualified” candidates, that meet the inherent requirements of a post, from under-represented designated groups and not necessarily the “best qualified” candidates.
  1. Designated groups are considered to be (i) black people, (ii) women and (iii) people with disabilities, as defined in the Employment Equity Act, where “black people” refers to Africans, Coloureds and Indians.
  1. Assessments for selection purposes will primarily focus on the assessment of “essential requirements” with the provision that “preferred requirements” may be used where no under-representation of a specific group is evident and/or where short-listed candidates are from the same designated groups.
  1. Where under-representation of a specific designated group is clearly evident at the outset of the recruitment process, based on the numerical targets at the time, targeted advertising and/or targeted recruitment may be embarked on, provided that the advert/notice reach the widest possible market of the targeted group.
  1. In line with Section 15(4) of the Employment Equity Act, it is confirmed that this policy does not imply the termination of, or moratorium on, prospective or continued employment and advancement of employees and external applicants, who are not from designated groups.
  1. Staff appointments will be guided by the following priorities as determined by means of the Municipality’s numerical goals/targets:

a)Under-representation based on both categories and levels;

b)The designated group with highest level of under-representation will be preferred

  1. The numerical targets for the BreedeValleyMunicipality will be guided by the demographic composition of the Western Cape’s (geographical area’s) economically active population or available demographics as reflected in the municipality’s Employment Equity Plan.

5. SPECIFICATIONS COMMITTEE

a)The specifications committee should consist of the HR Manager; A department head of another directorate and the union representatives(Samwu and Imatu)

b)The specifications committee is to agree on the advertisement specifications as emanating from the task Job description as well as well as on a competency test should the Directorate so recommend.

c)In the absence of a job description or and a position being new the specifications committee should deliberate and agree on the specifications for the post.

d)All assessments to be done for shortlisted candidates should have been discussed and approved by the specifications committee

6. RECRUITMENT PROCESS

  1. When a vacancy arises, all positions that will be filled on a permanent or contract basis must be advertised and filled in compliance with this policy, provided that, he fills in the applicable “Approval to advertise and fill a vacancy form”, which includes the following:
  2. Post should initially be advertised internally and failure to get a competent candidate the post will be advertised internally
  3. The advertisement process should be complemented by the succession policy

a)The Head of Department confirms there is a necessity to fill the relevant vacancy,

b)The position to be filled exists on the relevant approved Micro-structure / organogram,

c)Sufficient budget provision has been made for the filling of the position, validated by Financial Services.

d)Consideration be given to advertising, where practicable and feasible, in all 3 languages of the Western Cape (English, Afrikaans and Xhosa)

The Specifications committee must be included with the compiling of all adverts.

  1. Methods of advertising must be such that the widest possible market of recruits is reached, with due consideration of operational, practical and financial realities and limitations, subject to Section 4(iv), provided that positions on postlevels 1-6 and positions of a specialized technical nature may, as a minimum, be advertised provincially.
  1. “Headhunting” is allowed in extraordinary circumstances where:

a)The full recruitment & selection process has been concluded unsuccessfully (at least once) or where it is evident at the shortlisting stage that a match with the job-profile or equity objectives is unlikely;

b)The competence/skill sought for a specific position is highly specialized and/or scarce;

c)The specified competence/skill referred to represents an essential requirement of the position and not a preferred requirement.

d)The Panel will decide on the method of headhunting

e)The Municipal Manager approved the “headhunting” of an identified individual or individuals on the recommendation of the Head of Department in consultation with the Local Labour Forum or trade unions.

  1. As a general principle, advertisements will be based on the essential and inherent requirements of positions and reflect the essential requirements of positions for recruitment purposes, while preferred requirements can be reflected in an advertisement to accommodate instances where preferred requirements may be used should no under-representation of a specific group be evident at the commencement of the recruitment process.
  1. Statutory requirements and requirements prescribed by recognized professional bodies/associations will be deemed to be essential requirements.
  1. To allow prospective applicants reasonable opportunities to apply for advertised positions, the closing date for applications will be 14 calendar days from the date of advertising.
  1. Only applications received at the Human Resources Department in response to a specific advert, by the closing date, will be considered for the relevant advertised position.
  1. All applications must be appropriately completed, regardless of whether candidates are internal or external to the organization. The information contained in the Application will be utilized for Recruitment and Selection purposes.
Reference checks

All Reference checks should be done by HR

  1. As a general rule and to enhance objectivity of the recruitment and selection process, reference checks will be done during the shortlisting process, provided and validation of information on the application form is allowed.
  1. Reference checks will be focused on the job- and competency requirements relevant to the advertised position and shall not target the elicitation of subjective opinions.
  1. Where the compliance with statutory requirements, criminal records, financial integrity and/or credit worthiness are linked to the inherent requirements of a position, such checks may be done provided that it is reflected as a precondition in the job advertisement.

7. SELECTION PROCESS

7.1 Shortlisting

  1. The shortlist needs to be manageable in terms of numbers with 4 short-listed candidates per position serving as a general guideline.
  1. As a first step, shortlists will be drafted by means of the consistent and objective consideration of agreed-upon essential job-criteria (as advertised). The job-criteria to be used for short-listing purposes are to be fixed prior to the shortlisting process commencing, and should not be amended and/or additional/new criteria introduced once short-listing started.
  1. Secondly, the representivity of the initial shortlist (in terms of Employment Equity) is deliberated, guided by the numerical targets associated with the applicable category and level of the position in question. Should the make-up of the shortlist be consistent with the applicable numerical targets, the selection process proceeds.
  1. The Equity Plan and targets will be available at each shortlisting session and shall together with merit inform the selection of a candidate at shortlisting stage.
  1. Where the achievement of Employment Equity is unlikely to be supported, considering the initial shortlist, candidates from under-represented designated groups may be short-listed guided by Section 20(3) of the Employment Equity Act. in terms of which a person may be suitably qualified for a job as a result of any one of, or any combination of that person’s (a) formal qualifications, (b) prior learning, (c) relevant experience and/or (d) capacity to acquire, within a reasonable time, the ability to do the job.
  1. Where no under-representation of designated groups is evident when considering the BreedeValleyMunicipality’s numerical targets, the most suitable candidates may be short-listed and/or preferred job-criteria may be used for determining the shortlist.
  1. Provided that the shortlist is sufficiently representative, judged by means of the organizational targets, not all candidates from designated groups who meet the essential requirements need to be short-listed, on condition that the most suitable candidates from a specific group are preferred.
  1. Job-related assessments, focused on the inherent requirements of the relevant position, may be employed as a short-listing mechanism prior to or as part of the short-listing process listed.
  1. Fraudulent qualifications or documentation will immediately disqualify any applicant. The onus will be on the job applicants to prove their compliance with stated requirements.
  1. Union representatives are entitled to motivate for the inclusion or exclusion of candidates on the shortlist, provided that the motivation is (a) in writing addressed to the relevant Line manager and (b) based on the advertised criteria. The Line Manager shall objectively consider such motivations before deciding on the inclusion/exclusion of the relevant candidates.
  1. The shortlisting process will entail the following:

(a)The Municipal Manager (or his/her nominee/s) concerned draft the initial shortlist in conjunction with Human Resources.

(b)On receipt of the shortlist and all applications, Human Resources informs a designated representative of each trade union of the shortlist, by means of a facsimile to an agreed-upon and secure fax number.

(c)The trade union representatives are allowed two working days to inspect all applications (including applications of short-listed candidates), which will be made available at the Human Resources Department.

(d)Should no written objections against the shortlist be received at close of business on the second working day after representatives have been informed of the shortlist, Human Resources may proceed with the arrangement of interviews.